The Attitude of Grattitude

I have a hard time with being grateful. Being bitter is my strength, and not to mention, it's SO easy to do right now. I just revel in coming home at 7:00 after a full 12 hours of classes and homework and making jokes about how I'm likely to fail my tests the next day.

So I'm on a mission to be more grateful. Anyone who has any tips, I would be grateful to hear them. ;)

While searching for inspiration, my workout buddy, Kori, mentioned the story of Stephanie Nielson to me. Little did she know that I would become obsessed with her story. Literally - I can't stop reading articles online about her amazing strength and beauty.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints recently made this inspiring video about her story:



Here's my reader's digest version:

Stephanie Nielson lived in Arziona with her husband and three children. Stephanie is probably one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen, and her husband often liked to call her snow white. She really does look like her.

The Nielson Family in 2008

Even though she and her family lived in Arzona, Stephanie grew up in Provo, UT, and missed her family a lot. So her husband decided to get his own pilot's license to take her and the kids to Provo whenever they wanted.
On Saturday after Christian Nielson had decided to take his wife up in the plane to celebrate passing his Pilot's License, along with his past instructor. However, right before landing, something went wrong, and the plane crashed.

Christian woke up to see the whole plane in flames. He started fighting his way out, and he heard Stephanie say "Go! I'm right behind you!" But to his horror, after running to a safe distance, he realized that Stephanie was still inside. Right there, he knew he had a decision - go back inside, and die fighting for his wife, or stay outside, alive and live for their children.

He chose to live for his children, and was forced to watch the plane burn with Stephanie inside.

Stephanie woke up to realize that she was alone. While fighting her way out of the plane, she realized that she could hear the bubling and poping of her own skin.

Both Christian and Stephanie survived. As they were life-flighted to the nearest hospital, Stephanie's heart stopped twice, and upon arrival, she was comatose.

Christian suffered with 35% of his body burned, while 80% of Stephanie's body had 4th degree burns. At the fourth degree, not only is the skin burned, but so is the fat. Much of stephanie's own bones had been exposed to the fire and blackened. Stephanie was in surgery for 14 hours while doctors cut away all of her burned skin, muscle, and bone off. Afterwards, there wasn't much left.

Stephanie remained in a coma for four months. During that time she had a vision. Someone told her that she could chose to stay where she was, and that there was plenty to do there, or she could choose to go back to her husband and children, but that it wouldn't be easy.
She too, chose life.

The Nielson Family, Two Years after the Crash

After she woke up, she couldn't come to look at herself for over a month. Once she finally did, she accepted that she would have to accept a new definition of beauty, but it wouldn't be easy. Her own children came to visit her in the hospital, and didn't recognize their mother. They yelled "That's a monster, that's not my mommy! Don't make me look at her!"


Stephanie Nielson just celebrated the 2-year anniversary of the plane crash. She's overcome so many things. At first, she wasn't able to move at all, but now she's able to climb mountains... literally. And the thing she says she's grateful for the most? The opportunities she has when she's able to do "mom" things, like making dinner, or tucking her children into bed.

Since then she's been on the Oprah show, and now gives beauty seminars at BYU for women.

Stephanie only lives a few blocks away from me, and I think that's what made me realize - her story is real. 

I can't help but cry when I think about her incredible story. How dare I go about my day without being grateful for my own perfect life? And how dare I worry about my appearance day by day?

Thank you, Stephanie Nielson, for overcoming so much so that you could inspire thousands.

 To check out her blog, go here: http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/